


Anne's Secret Places

by bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Also an AU scene, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Gilbert is hopelessly in love with Anne and the author doesn't even try to pretend otherwise, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene, Spoilers for Season 3, explains how gil knew about the story club shed and the cliffs, the ones he visits in 3x09
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-18 13:09:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21911275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid/pseuds/bowties_Scarves_and_Plaid
Summary: This fic came to be when I realized that we never saw Anne showing Gilbert the shed where the Avonlea Story club takes place or the cliffs on the coast that she discovers when she first goes to the beach, yet he visited both of these places during 3x09 while debating about his feelings towards Anne and Winnie.So I wrote this fic of Gilbert finding out about both of those places.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 6
Kudos: 174





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes someplace in mid season two after Gilbert returns to Avonlea

“Anne, wait….no, don’t!” Gilbert heard Diana call from somewhere nearby in the forest. Gilbert increased his pace and rounded the corner to find Diana standing alone in the fork of the path where Anne and Diana usually part ways to go home.

“Diana?” Gilbert called hesitantly when she didn’t hear him approach. She turned to face him with her hand over her heart.

“Oh, Gilbert, you startled me,” She said.

“Apologies, I couldn’t help but hear you calling after Anne and I thought I should investigate.”

“Yes…” Diana looked in the direction he presumed Anne had run and then looked back at him, a distraught and conflicted expression on her face. “Something was bothering Anne, she just wasn’t herself after lunch. When I asked her about it she refused to tell me and when I pressed her she simply ran off. I would go after her except my mother’s expecting me for piano practice straight away.”

“I can go after her,” Gilbert said immediately. Bash might give him grief for being late, but Sebastian also had a soft spot in his heart for Anne, so given the circumstances, Gilbert figured he’d understand.

“That would be lovely,” Diana said, visibly relaxing. “I would go but my mother is already unhappy-”

“It’s no trouble,” Gilbert rushed to reassure her. “Do you have any idea where she might have gone?”

“Um…” Diana hesitated, looking conflicted again.

“Diana, I can’t help her if I can’t find her,” Gilbert pointed out.

“I know, I know, it’s just...well I’m pretty sure I know where she went and that place is very special...she wouldn’t appreciate you showing up uninvited,” Diana said finally.

“Let me handle that. I’ll be respectful, I promise” Gilbert assured her. He knew he would never fully learn how to navigate the raging fire that was Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, but he’d rather have her mad at him for disturbing her than have her be upset and alone.

“Okay, but you have to swear to me that you will never tell another person that this place even exists...she might never forgive you or me, but I’ll tell you where it is,” Diana said after a long pause.

She gave Gilbert the directions and they headed their separate ways. It took Gilbert longer than he would’ve liked to locate the small wooden hideaway, but when he finally did he stopped short at the sobs he heard coming from inside.

Gilbert suddenly questioned what he’d gotten himself into and his ability to deal with the situation. There was a good chance he ended up making everything worse, but even if he failed miserably, he knew he had to try. He took a deep breath and prayed he wasn’t about to erase the progress he’d made towards being friends with Anne and then he knocked on the side of her hut.

The sobbing cut off immediately.

“Diana if that’s you, I’m fine,” Anne called out, sounding anything but fine.

“No, umm...It’s Gilbert,” He said, flinching at how idiotic he sounded.

“Gilbert Blythe, what on earth are you doing here?” Anne shouted, sounding a mix between heartbroken and hysterical. Gilbert took an instinctive half step backward.

“I um...I ran into Diana on the path. She’s worried about you and wanted to come herself but her mother’s expecting her.”

“So she told you about this place?” Anne yelled, sounding like she was right on the other side of the cloth that served as the entrance.

“She knew you would be cross, but we both decided that we would risk your anger because neither of us wanted you to suffer alone,” Gilbert said and silence followed his words. He desperately wanted to push back the cloth, to see her face and get a better read on what she was thinking. “Anne, this place is beautiful and special and if you want me to leave now and pretend I never learned about it, I will. But, if you want a friend to sit with you and listen to you, I am here and I promise I’ll never tell a soul about this place,” Gilbert tried again.

The silence between them stretched out, long and heavy. All Gilbert could hear were soft sniffles and breaths that sounded like Anne was trying hard not to cry. Gilbert was almost ready to give up when suddenly Anne pushed aside the cloth, grabbed his arm, and yanked him inside.

“Swear it to me,” Anne said, holding up her pinky. The ribbon in her short hair was askew and he had to resist the urge to straighten it. Her eyes were red-rimmed and watery and she had tear stains down her cheeks, but she was looking at him with a fierce expression. It was all very disarming.

“I...what?” Gilbert stammered eloquently. Anne rolled her eyes, took his wrist and put his hand up so it was at chest level and then she intertwined their pinky fingers. Gilbert felt a jolt go through him at the contact.

“Promise that you will never tell anyone about this place,” Anne said seriously, she was watching him carefully to make sure that he meant what he said.

“I promise,” Gilbert said just as seriously. As soon as he spoke those two words, all of the fight went out of Anne and she sat down on one of the logs by the fire. Gilbert took this opportunity to look around the wooden hut.

He could’ve stumbled across this place all on his own and he would’ve known that it belonged to Anne Shirley-Cuthbert. It was decorated with things like dried flowers and seashells. There was a stack of books in the corner next to a stack of paper. It was cozy and Gilbert immediately felt comfortable in the space. Gilbert sat down on a log next to Anne and turned his attention back to the distraught girl.

“This place is incredible, Anne,” Gilbert said and Anne let out a breathy laugh that half sounded like a sob.

“Thanks, I actually sort of have you to thank for this place,” She admitted.

“How so?”

“Well, you know how I left school the first day we met after...well after I hit you with my slate...I um, didn’t want to come back to school, but Marilla made me. I tried to go to school, I really did, I just couldn’t walk back through the doors. So, instead, I came here and spent my days making this place what it is now,” Anne said with a small smile.

“Well, in that case, you’re welcome,” Gilbert said with a smile of his own, even though on the inside he didn’t feel like smiling. He felt horrible for the pain and embarrassment he’d caused Anne on that first day. Each day she’d stayed away from school had made him feel worse and worse. When she’d finally come back to school with a smile on her face, he couldn’t have been happier.

Gilbert often wondered what would’ve happened if he’d done things differently. He still would have rescued her from Billy, but he certainly wouldn’t have made the comment about slaying dragons. Anne Shirley-Cuthbert was a strong capable person who didn’t require rescuing or appreciate being saved. Even when she might need a helping hand, she didn’t like people to see her as weak. If he were to go back now he would certainly handle the situation more delicately.

And he definitely wouldn’t have pulled her hair. They could laugh about it now, but it had certainly set their friendship back a few years. He would still be persistent in trying to get to know her, but he wouldn’t have been quite as pushy. He would’ve taken things slower and allowed Anne time to get over whatever it was that had kept her from talking to him that day. Maybe then they could’ve skipped the whole rivalry stage and gone straight to being friends.

Anne’s small smile faded and she looked into the fire with a distant expression on her face. Gilbert brought himself back to the present and the current situation. He watched the firelight dance in her blue eyes for a moment before he asked the question that might ruin the quiet moment they were having.

“What exactly happened today?” Gilbert finally asked when it became clear that Anne was not interested in volunteering the information.

“Nothing,” Anne said with a shaky breath. She looked back at him, her eyes searching his face as if deciding how much she wanted to tell him. Gilbert shifted uncomfortably at her scrutiny. He wasn’t used to her looking at him with that intensity for that long. Finally, Anne sighed and dropped her eyes to her hands which were clenched together in her lap. “That is to say, nothing that hasn’t happened a hundred times before. You know how when you repeat a word over and over and over again it starts to lose all meaning and not even sound like a word?” Anne asked, abruptly turning her body so she was facing him instead of the fire. Gilbert mimicked her movement and turned so he was facing her as well.

“Oh, I um…” Gilbert stammered, not actually sure what she was talking about and thrown off by the change in subject.

“You would think,” Anne continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “That after being called something enough times it would begin to lose all meaning...trash, trash, trash, trash.”

“Anne,” Gilbert said in surprise. Each word was like a punch to his stomach.

“Trash, trash, trash, tr-”

“Anne!” Gilbert raised his voice and reached out to grab one of her hands. Anne was startled into silence. She didn’t pull away her hand as he’d half expected her to. Instead, she sat still and gave him a look that was both curious and apprehensive. “Who said that to you? Was it BIlly?” He finally asked, working on keeping his voice calm.

“Today it was Josie,” Anne said with a shrug. “Yesterday it was Billy, a few months ago it was some random person in Charlottetown, a few years ago it was the girls at the Asylum. I’ve been called trash so many times I feel as if it should have lost its meaning by now, or at the very least its sting,” Ane confessed. She looked sad yet resigned as if she believed there was truth to their words. Gilbert wanted to punch every person who’d ever called Anne trash. His hand that wasn’t holding onto Anne’s instinctively curled into a fist. Why was it that some people felt a need to tear down everything and everyone they didn’t understand?

Gilbert forced himself to take a few breaths to calm down. Overreacting would just send Anne back behind the wall he’d worked so hard to break down, but at the same time, he had to reassure Anne that there was zero truth in what those people had said.

“Anne,” Gilbert said gently and squeezed her hand. She looked up at him with tears brimming in her eyes. “I hope words like that never lose meaning or their sting,” he said. Anne gasped and pulled away her hand, hurt flashing across her face.

“Well-”

“Let me finish,” Gilbert cut off her impending tirade. “You should never, ever get called something like trash because it could not be further from the truth. You are a treasure and a bright light here in Avonlea. However, if you do get called it again by close-minded people, I hope it does sting because that means you haven’t accepted it as truth. It hurts when people call you names because that’s not how you see yourself, and I sincerely hope that never changes,” Gilbert finished and there was a slightly awkward, stunned silence that followed. Both people were surprised by Gilbert’s intensity. Gilbert was just about to start backtracking when Anne suddenly launched herself into his arms. He almost toppled off of the log both in surprise and at the force of her hug. Anne held him tightly and he wrapped his arms gently around her. After a few long moments where Gilbert found it hard to breathe, Anne let go and leaned back.

“I’m sorry...that was...I’m sorry,” She said quickly, smoothing down her short hair nervously. “It’s just...that was perhaps the nicest, most poetic thing anyone has ever said to me,” Anne said finally. If a sentence like that was said by anyone else, Gilbert would probably think they were making fun of him, but coming from Anne it was the highest of compliments.

“Well, I am glad I was able to cheer you up,” Gilbert said, trying to ignore how oddly winded he felt.

“You did, thank you Gilbert. I’ve almost forgiven you completely for showing up here uninvited,” Anne said with a teasing tone and a smile. Her eyes were dry and she seemed to be in considerably better spirits than she’d been in when he first arrived.

“Almost? What do I have to do to get you to forgive me completely?” He asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.

“Walk me home? It’s getting late and Marilla will be considerably less cross at me if she finds out I was with you. She seems to find you likable for some reason,” Anne said, the teasing tone still in her voice.

“You know,” Gilbert said as he stood up and offered Anne his hand to help her up. “Most people find me likable.”

“Yeah,” Anne said with a scoff, “I have heard that people find arrogance attractive.”

“I’m just saying that you are the only one who seems to struggle with my likeability,” He said as they ducked out of the shed and started towards Green Gables.

“I think it’s just that you are the first person I’ve met who matches my intellect and challenges me. I found that infuriating...I still do. It was more natural to be rivals,” Anne said with a shrug as they fell into step together, “Besides, we didn’t exactly get off to the easiest start.”

“I saved you from Billy and offered you an apple,” Gilbert protested.

“You called me carrots and pulled my hair!”

“Only after you acted like I didn’t exist, plus I think you smashing your slate over my head makes us even.”

“I didn’t even need saving,” Anne mumbled. Gilbert chose to ignore this comment. They’d talked about the slate incident several times before and each had apologized. Neither held any actual ill feelings about it, they both simply enjoyed teasing each other.

“Well, we somehow managed to find our way to a T-R-U-C-E,” Gilbert said with a smile, remembering that intense day in Charlottetown.

“Yes, we did,” Anne said, grinning back.

For the rest of the journey, they chatted about school and their families. It was an easy conversation and they reached Green Gables entirely too soon in Gilbert’s opinion. He walked her right up to her front porch. Anne stopped and faced him before going up the steps.

“Thank you for coming today. It was brave of you to show up knowing you’d evoke my temper. I was glad for the company.”

“Any time, Anne,” Gilbert said, trying not to let the fact that she called him brave go to his head.

“Anne! Anne, is that you?” Marilla came barreling out of the door. “Do you have any idea what ti- oh hello Gilbert,” She stopped mid-sentence.

“Hello, Miss Cuthbert. I’m terribly sorry, but Anne’s tardiness is my doing. I needed some extra help with something we learned in school today so Anne stayed behind to help me with it,” Gilbert lied smoothly. Anne shot him a look of surprise, but he ignored it.

“I see…” Marilla said, looking between the two of them. If she noticed Anne’s red eyes and tear-stained face she wisely chose not to comment on it. “Well please be sure to pay more attention to the hour next time, Matthew and I nearly ate without you, Anne. Gilbert, thank you for walking her home, you are of course invited to stay for dinner,” Marilla said everything in that no-nonsense way she had.

“Thank you Miss Cuthbert, but Bash will be expecting me at home,” Gilbert said. “See you at school tomorrow, Anne,” He said looking back at Anne who returned his gaze with a grateful smile.

“See you tomorrow, Gilbert.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! I hope the language they are using isn't too OOC, I'm honestly too lazy to research the language used in Canada in the late 1800s.
> 
> Also, they don't really refer to the Story Club location as anything in the show, so I am just going to call it a hut :-D


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few other scenes I wanted to include of Gilbert visiting the hut now that he knows about it

After that, Gilbert started taking the long way home occasionally. The long way home just happened to bring him right past Anne's hut.

Sometimes the hut would be filled with life and laughter. Gilbert didn’t go near the place on those days because he’d never officially been invited into the Avonlea Story Club and he would never want to interrupt their most special times together. Gilbert would just smile and walk on, the laughter of Anne and her friends warming his heart. Someday he really hoped to be able to read some of Anne’s stories. From what he knew of Anne’s imagination and writing ability, the stories were bound to be amazing pieces of literature. Maybe someday if he played his cards right he’d be inducted into the Avonlea Story Club. 

There were a few days when Gilbert walked by the hut and found it quiet and empty. On these days he’d steal away inside. The times he spent inside the little wooden hideaway were the most peaceful times of his life. He knew why Anne and her friends were drawn there. Sometimes he would study, other times he would read for enjoyment, and sometimes he would just sit and enjoy the sounds of nature. On the days he was alone he had to fight to resist the temptation to read the stack of notebooks he knew were stored away. He was always able to resist, however, knowing it was an invasion of Anne’s privacy and she’d never forgive him if she found out he'd read them.

Then there were his favorite days. These days happened the least often. His favorite days were the ones where he found Anne alone in her hut, reading or writing. The first time he’d stumbled across her she’d been understandably surprised, not knowing he’d taken to walking home past the hut. Gilbert had apologized and started to walk out, but Anne had told him that he could stay. The few times he’d come across her after that she’d greeted him with a smile. Sometimes they’d sit in silence working on their own things side by side. Sometimes they would work together on homework, sometimes they’d debate about something they’d learned in class that day. And other times they would simply sit and talk about life.

Gilbert knew that no matter what happened, he’d look back at his times in the little hut in the woods as some of his best times with Anne.

*****

After Cole left school, he was frequently at the hut. The first day Gilbert entered and found only Cole inside they were both startled.

“Oh, Cole,” Gilbert said awkwardly. Cole stood up from where he’d been beginning to make a fire and walked over to Gilbert.

“Gilbert...How did you...who told you about this place?” Cole said finally. Gilbert looked around the small space which now featured an increasing number of clay statues.

“Um...Diana told me. There was one day she was worried about Anne but expected at home. I happened across her on the road and offered to help find Anne and make sure she was okay.”

“And Diana just told you about this place?” Cole asked in surprise.

“She debated it for a bit, then swore me to secrecy and warned me that Anne might never forgive either of us,” Gilbert said.

“Yeah, I bet she wasn’t pleased,” Cole said, not looking too pleased himself.

“She wasn’t, but I convinced her to let me inside and then I hope I was able to be of some comfort to her,” Gilbert’s face grew red when he thought about how Anne had thrown her arms around him.

“And now you what? You just show up here whenever?” Cole asked. Gilbert could tell that this place was as special to Cole as it was to Anne and he was just as protective of it.

“No, no, I just sometimes walk home this way. If I hear voices inside I steer clear, but if it’s empty sometimes I come inside to find a little bit of peace,” Gilbert didn’t mention the times it was just Anne. For some reason that felt too personal and judging by Cole’s surprised reaction, Anne hadn’t even told him that Gilbert knew about the hut.

“This place is quite special,” Cole said, his tone softening.

“And I’m disturbing your peace, I’m sorry, I’ll leave you to it,” Gilbert said.

“You can stay if you want,” Cole said, going back to start the fire. Gilbert hesitated for a few seconds before sitting down and pulling out his book. As soon as Cole had the fire going, he sat down in front of a lump of clay.

The two sat in comfortable silence for a while until Cole finally broke it.

“She never told me,” He said softly.

“Sorry?”

“Anne never told me that you knew about this place. Now granted, this place is hers and she’s under no obligation to tell me everyone who knows, but I find it interesting that she didn’t tell us,” Cole said, looking briefly up at Gilbert with a curious look.

“Why do you think that is?” Gilbert asked. It seemed like Cole was trying to make a point, but Gilbert had no idea what that might be.

“I think Anne’s feelings surrounding you are complicated and confusing to her and she often chooses to just ignore them,” Cole said, focusing back on his clay.

“Yes, some days I think we are actual friends, but then the next day I’ll answer a question right in class and she’ll be cold and treat me like her rival again,” Gilbert said.

“Friends, rivals, other things...I think Anne’s idea of what you two are to each other changes moment to moment,” Cole gave him a look that told Gilbert there was a hidden meaning to his words.

“Anne Shirley-Cuthbert certainly is complicated,” Gilbert said finally. This whole conversation with Cole was making him as confused as his conversations with Anne often left him.

“She is indeed,” Cole said and then they lapsed into another silence. Gilbert wasn’t really sure how he was supposed to take what Cole had said to him, so he decided to change the subject.

“So, you’re trying out sculpting now?” He asked, wincing at how obvious his attempt to steer the conversation was.

“Yes, my wrist just hasn’t been the same since I broke it," Cole said, taking pity on him and allowing the previous subject to drop. "I was getting frustrated trying to draw like I used to. Someone at Aunt Josphine’s party told me that sculpting would help strengthen my wrist. I tried it out and I actually really enjoy it,” Cole said enthusiastically.

“You’ve got a knack for it, these are really good,” Gilbert said, looking at all of the sculptures again.

“Thanks.”

“Do you think you’ll ever come back to school?” Gilbert couldn’t help but ask. Cole looked surprised at his direct question but answered it anyway.

“Not in Avonlea. I don’t think I’ll ever be a really good fit for it. And don’t bother telling me about how amazing the new teacher is, Anne’s already tried. I’d love to go to an art school or something someday, maybe in Charlottetown or even further away, I just am not sure if that will ever happen,” Cole said with a wistful look in his eyes.

The first time Gilbert had ever stepped foot in the hut he’d wanted to punch all of the small-minded people who’d hurt Anne. Now, he found himself wanting to do the same thing for Cole.

“I’m sorry people are so afraid of anything that’s unique,” Gilbert said.

“I appreciate that,” Cole gave him a genuine smile. “At least I have Anne, Diana, and Ruby, and this place.”

“I’m really glad I was able to see this place,” Gilbert agreed.

“Welcome to the club of people who know about this place but who aren’t a part of the story club,” Cole said.

“Thanks,” Gilbert said with a laugh.

*****

Gilbert couldn’t bring himself to go back to the ruins of the once beautiful hut. Diana had described to him what it had looked like and he didn’t think he could bear to see it like that.

The place that he’d come to think of as peaceful and safe was now demolished thanks to a bully who’d destroyed it without a second thought.

“Do you need help rebuilding it?” Gilbert asked Anne after all the craziness with Miss Stacy had been resolved.

“I don’t think I am going to rebuild it,” Anne said calmly.

“What? Why not?” Gilbert asked, shocked to his core. He’d never considered the fact that Anne wouldn’t want to rebuild it.

“All things have a natural cycle. I think this was the world’s way of telling me that it’s time to move away from writing stories that no one is ever going to see in a shed in the woods.”

“You think Billy destroying your special place was the world trying to tell you something?” Gilbert asked, unable to keep the disbelief out of his voice.

“I loved that place, I’m going to miss it,” Anne said softly. “But things feel different now. Cole’s away in Charlottetown, Miss Stacy talked about starting a school newspaper and letting me write in it, and I’m not the same young girl I was when I first created that place. It feels like it’s time to move on.”

“Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, you are a constant surprise,” Gilbert said, shaking his head. “I’m going to miss that place too. Thanks for forgiving me for showing up uninvited and for letting me drop by occasionally.”

“I’m glad you were able to be a part of it while it was still standing,” Anne said with a smile.

“Me too,” Gilbert said, giving her a sad smile of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live for Cole knowing that those two oblivious idiots are crushing on each other and subtly (or not so subtly) trying to get them to realize that


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne showing Gilbert the cliffs! This one takes place sometime mid-late season 3

Gilbert was not paying attention to a single word he was reading out of his book. They were currently staying after school for Miss Stacy’s college prep study group, but on this specific day, GIlbert was not getting any studying done. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts and trying to figure out the important life decisions that he needed to make.

Gilbert knew that he wanted to study medicine. He knew that he wanted to help people and make a difference in life. He wasn’t sure yet if the way he would do those things was by actually becoming a doctor. He wasn’t really sure what college he wanted to go to. Sorbonne was, of course, his dream, but it just didn’t seem feasible. And Queen's college didn't seem like it had the scope he was looking for.

Then there was, of course, the farm and his family. He knew that he would have to leave Avonlea for college, but going all the way across the ocean seemed a bit daunting. He hated to think that he wouldn’t be able to see Bash or hug Delphine at least every few months or so. He also felt bad enough that he was leaving Bash alone to work on the farm and wanted to be someplace where he could come home if he needed to if something went wrong.

And then there was Winnifred. Gilbert really liked her and enjoyed spending time with her, he just wasn’t sure yet if she was his forever person. Winnie was witty, intelligent, beautiful, and worldly. Her family was friendly and accepting of his family. She was everything he was looking for and Gilbert always felt good when he was with her. It should be an easy decision. And yet Gilbert only had to glance at a certain redhead sitting across the aisle from him to feel more confused about everything than ever before.

“Gilbert?” The very girl that haunted his thoughts startled him out of them. Gilbert looked up to see Anne standing next to his desk. He looked around the room and saw that everyone else, including Miss Stacy, had left the building. “Are you okay?” Anne walked around to sit next to him on the bench. She didn’t swing her legs around, however, so she sat facing the opposite direction. ‘You’ve been staring at that same page for a while now, plus you didn’t seem to notice everyone else leaving,” She said, looking sideways at him.

“Oh, um, yeah I’m fine,” Gilbert said unconvincingly as he closed his book. “Just a little bit preoccupied.”

“Anything I can help with?” She offered easily, surprising Gilbert.

“No, maybe...I don’t know,” Gilbert said, feeling both mentally and physically exhausted. On top of everything, he hadn’t been able to sleep very much over the past few days.

Anne looked at Gilbert closely, making him squirm. After a few seconds, she broke eye contact and swung her legs around the bench so she was sitting in the same way he was. Gilbert became acutely aware of how close she was sitting to him. 

“What’s wrong?” She asked softly, “You look tired, or sick, you aren’t getting sick are you?”

“No, just tired. Dellie’s been teething and not sleeping well because of it. Which in turn means that no one in the house is sleeping very well,” Gilbert said, giving her the truth, just not the whole truth. Delphine was indeed waking them up at all hours of the night, but she wasn’t the only thing that was keeping Gilbert awake.

“Teething can be tricky,” Anne shivered with some kind of memory from her past. “I’ve seen all sorts of treatments and most I’ve found to be wholly unhelpful. The best thing I’ve found is to let the baby chew on a cloth that has been wet and then frozen. Which is easier to do in the winter,” Anne admitted with a smile. 

“Bash’s mother has tried all the tricks she knows, but I’ll suggest a cool cloth,” Gilbert said thankfully.

“It might help, but mostly you just have to wait it out.”

“Great,” Gilbert said sarcastically.

“It’ll test your doctor’s patience and ability to function on little sleep,” Anne said with another flash of her dimples. Gilbert found that even though they hadn’t talked about what was really bothering him, he still felt better just being around Anne. “Now come on, I’ll walk you home.”

“I should really stay and try to get some studying in,” Gilbert protested, moving to open his book again. He was stopped by Anne putting her hand on the cover.

“We both know you are in no mindstate to get any studying done. If I leave you here to study, I will most likely walk in tomorrow and find you asleep at this desk.”

“Fair enough...I just…” Gilbert cut off with a sigh.

“Just what?”

“I just don’t feel like going home right this second. Times like this I wish your little wooden hut was still standing. A peaceful place away from the world is just what I need right now,” Gilbert admitted. He’d never really told Anne about how much he missed the hut because he wanted to support her decision to move on. The truth, however, was that he missed it greatly. Sometimes he’d find himself on the path towards where it had used to be, his feet taking him there without his head even realizing it.

“I have another place,” Anne said quietly. “It’s not someplace I’ve built, but it’s someplace that’s always allowed me to breathe freely and get some perspective.”

“I could use a bit of both of those things,” Gilbert said, decidedly not thinking about how Anne’s fingertips were brushing his own from where her hand still lay on the top of his book.

“Then it’s settled,” Anne said, standing up and offering Gilbert her hand to help him up the way he had all those months ago in the hut. Gilbert smiled and accepted her hand.

“Where are we going?” He asked curiously when she started to lead him away from pretty much everything in Avonlea.

“Answering that question, Gilbert Blythe, would ruin a most wonderful surprise. It’s not a place that can be described with words, it’s a place better experienced.”

“If it leaves Anne Shirley-Cuthbert speechless, it must be a special place,” Gilbert teased.

“Marvelous, tremendous, breathtaking, magnificent, captivating…” Anne started listing.

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Gilbert said with a soft chuckle. “Show off.” Anne stuck her tongue out at him and bumped her shoulder lightly against him as he walked.

“Those words all describe it, but they don’t fully encapsulate it,” Anne admitted. “I came across this place the first time Matthew and Marilla brought me to the beach. It was a wonderful October day, you were away on the ship at the time. We drove past this place and I simply had to stop and explore it more fully. Matthew and Marilla probably thought I’d gone mad but it’s a place that demands attention. I couldn’t rightly ignore it…”

Anne continued to chat animatedly for their entire journey. Gilbert wasn’t in much of a mood to talk, but Anne didn’t seem to mind. In fact, Gilbert suspected she kept her constant stream of consciousness going for his sake. Gilbert may have not felt like talking but he enjoyed listening to her, no matter what the subject matter.

“...I’ve never show Diana this place. She would find it beautiful for sure, but I’m not sure she’d really understand how special it is. The only other person I’ve told is Cole,” Anne said as they walked towards the coast of the island. They were still far enough inland that Gilbert could only see a sliver of water peeking out over the horizon. “One day I was upset and he recognized that I needed a change in scenery and asked if I knew a place with a little more scope than our wooden hideaway. So I brought him....here!” Anne yelled the last word, threw her school stuff to the ground, and took off running. Gilbert simply watched in shock as she ran down a peninsula of land that stuck out over the water.

“Anne!” Gilbert called in surprise when he’d recovered slightly. She was running as fast as she could with no signs of slowing.

“Come on!” She yelled back, her voice nearly being lost in the wind. Gilbert placed his books next to her discarded ones, took a deep breath, and started running.

It was a thrilling feeling. Gilbert felt like he was on the edge of the world. The wind whipped through his hair and cool air pumped into his lungs. He could smell the salty ocean water and was brought back to his time on the ship.

When he caught up with Anne she was standing with her arms spread out wide and her eyes closed, a peaceful smile graced her face. Gilbert watched her for a few seconds, utterly entranced. Then he forced himself to look away from her and focused his attention on the water stretching out before him.

“Whooooo!” Anne yelled at the top of her lungs. Gilbert jumped in surprise and sent her a look. Anne opened her eyes and turned to him, her grin widened when she saw the startled look on his face. “Cole taught me that this is a good place to yell when you need to. The only thing around to hear is the ocean and she doesn't mind yelling.”

“Oh really?” Gilbert quirked an eyebrow at her.

“Really, try it.”

“Whoo,” Gilbert called feeling slightly self-conscious at the prospect of yelling in front of Anne.

“Come on, like you mean it,”

Whoo!” Gilbert called louder.

“You can do better,” Anne challenged.

“Whoooooo!” Gilbert yelled.

“Yes!” Anne exclaimed and then started yelling with him. Anne was right, it felt really good to yell and let it all out. Gilbert pictured all of his worries and confusion being carried away on the wind across the water.

When Gilbert was finally done, he sat down in the long grass. Anne sank down next to him and the two sat quietly looking out at the ocean.

“The first time I went to the beach when you were on the ship, I stood on the shore and tried to imagine what life was like for you. I imagined you standing on the top deck of a shiny ship, looking in the direction of Avonlea and thinking of home.” Anne said after a while. “I often wondered if you missed it here or if you were glad to have gotten away.”

“It was a little bit of both,” Gilbert answered truthfully. “My dad was a wandering spirit, he traveled all over the place. When he passed I wanted to honor him, but I also wanted to be true to myself. I knew I didn’t want to stay in Avonlea and be a farmer but I wasn’t sure yet what it was I wanted to do. I figured traveling the world on a ship was a good place to start. I really did enjoy my time on the water, although I didn’t often get to stand on the deck on the ship. There were a few times I would sneak up top. I was usually covered from head to toe in coal dust and the passengers would all look at me as if I was crazy, but it was worth it to be able to look out across the expanse of the ocean. It’s a strange feeling to look in every direction and only see water, it made the large ship feel infinitesimal,” Gilbert said, looking out at the ocean as his thoughts went back to his time on the ship.

“It sounds marvelous, I can see why you might consider not returning. When I got that letter from you I really thought I might never see you again,” Anne said. Gilbert turned to look at her and found her watching him.

“I did consider it, but Avonlea is my home and I love it here. I talked about not wanting to feel trapped here and some of the men on the boat pointed out to me that I was lucky to have a place to call home, many of them didn’t have one, save the ship.”

“Like Bash?”

“Yes, like Bash. He pretty much spent our entire time on the ship trying to convince me to get off of it. He realized before I did how lucky I was to have this place and he helped me to realize that. I can see myself traveling for college or to study different medical techniques, but I know now that Avonlea is my home and it will always be the place I come back to.”

“Avonlea and Green Gables were the first places I was really able to call home,” Anne said softly. She had a faraway look in her eyes that told Gilbert she was thinking about her time before she’d arrived in Avonlea. Anne was so joyful and full of life that he often forgot how hard her journey to Green Gables had to have been. Anne never talked much about it, but her brief comments about her past and the sad, haunted look in her eyes when she talked about it spoke volumes. “We are lucky to have this place to call home,” Anne said, bringing herself back to the present and smiling at him.

“Yes we are, this view right here rivals anything I’ve come across,” Gilbert said, returning her smile and pushing down his questions about her past that she clearly didn’t want to talk about.

“Same,” Anne responded. 

She moved slightly closer to Gilbert so that their shoulders were pressed against one another. The two stayed like that until the sun had sunk below the horizon and they were forced to run home, knowing they both were about to get a stern talking to from Marilla.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is an alternate version of how Gilbert finds out about the hut. I couldn't decide if I wanted Gilbert to stumble upon the hut uninvited or if I wanted Anne to show it to him...so I ended up writing both
> 
> This chapter is a standalone one-shot of Anne choosing to show Gilbert the hut. It's also written from Anne's perspective for a bit of a change in pace :-D
> 
> This takes someplace in season 2. It's inspired by the scene where Gilbert ends up ripping Bash's tooth out because he's trying to study and Bash is stressing him out.

“Oh dear,” Anne stopped in her tracks. Diana also froze and looked back at Anne.

“What’s the matter?”

“I forgot my math book at school,” Anne said, having suddenly realized why she felt lighter today. “We have an assignment due tomorrow from it. I need to go back and get it.”

“I’ll come with you,” Diana offered.

“That’s kind of you, dear Diana, but I can manage on my own. We were almost at the stage in our journey when we would need to part ways, anyway,” Anne said with a smile.

“If you’re sure.”

“I am, I shall see you tomorrow!” They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Anne walked at a leisurely pace back to school, letting her imagination run wild. Their next story club was at the end of the week and she had a dozen ideas of stories she wanted to write. The one speaking to her at the current moment was about a brave explorer who stumbles across a mysterious creature in the woods. The townsfolk all think the creature is dangerous and needs to be stopped but the explorer things the creature is misunderstood and is determined to save it.

Anne ran up the steps to the school and threw open the doors, humming to herself as she did. She was so distracted that she didn’t notice the figure at the desk until she was fully inside the school. When he moved she took a step back and put her hand over her mouth, barely keeping in her scream. The boy with dark curls who’d startled her turned around in his seat and regarded her curiously.

“Gilbert Blythe, what are you still doing here?” Anne demanded.

“I could ask you the same question,” He said, raising his eyebrows at her.

“I forgot my book,” She responded, walking over to her desk and reaching under her seat for the book. “What’s your reason?”

“Why was your book under there?” He asked instead of answering.

“Because I don’t enjoy looking at this book when I don’t have to,” Anne said, wondering why he was dodging the question. “Now explain yourself,” She said, going to sit next to him on the bench to show she wasn’t leaving without an answer.

Gilbert gave a sigh. This close she could see how exhausted he looked. His eyes were dull and he had deep circles under them.

“Bash is lonely all day and needs a lot of help with the farm. So as soon as I get home he is talking my ear off and asking for my assistance. He is working so hard to learn how to farm that I can’t exactly tell him no, so I don’t normally get around to getting my homework done until he is asleep. Recently I’ve been staying at school for a bit to finish it before I go home. That way it’s out of the way and one less thing to worry about when I get home,” Gilbert finally explained.

“And you’ve been coming in early to study medicine as well,” Anne noted. Gilbert gave her a look of surprise and she shrugged. “I’ve seen you,” She said simply.

“Yes, sometimes it feels like I live here,” Gilbert said, his voice flat. Anne hated seeing him so stressed out. They may be competitors, but they’d also evolved into something almost like friends. Anne didn’t like to see anyone suffering, especially her friends.

“You need a change of scenery,” Anne said suddenly as she stood up.

“I have started to hate these four walls,” Gilbert admitted, some of the light coming back into his eyes as he gathered his books and stood up as well. “Do you have someplace in mind?”

“I know just the place,” Anne said. She grabbed Gilbert’s free hand with hers and pulled him out of the doors of the school before he had a chance to change his mind. She dropped his hand as soon as their boots hit the ground and felt a strange pang of loss.

“Where are we going, Anne?” Gilbert asked as he allowed her to lead him into the woods.

“It’s better if you see it for yourself. Fair warning, you are going to have to take a vow of secrecy. This place is quite special you see. Diana, Ruby and I use it to write stories and Cole uses it to express his artistic side. The only other person who knows about it is Aunt Josephine. She stops by every once in a while to offer me advice and guidance. Oh and there is also my dear fox,” Anne knew she was rambling, but she couldn’t help it. Gilbert needed to know how important this place was to her before he saw it. She just couldn’t bear showing him the hut and having him not appreciate how magical it was.

“I am not at all surprised you have a special hideaway on the island,” Gilbert said, amusement coloring his tone. Anne looked at him to see if he was making fun of her but found him smiling down at her affectionately. Her stomach did a flip and she looked away quickly.

“I have a couple actually, the other one helps me when I need some perspective.”

“Oh?” Gilbert said in a way that indicated he wanted to know more.

“One special place at a time, Gilbert Blythe, don’t get greedy,” Anne cautioned.

“Of course,” He conceded.

They rounded the corner so the hut was now visible. It was a school night so Anne knew that none of her friends would currently be in there. She watched Gilbert closely as he spotted it. He had a curious expression on his face when he first saw the wooden shed. A slow smile spread across his face as they got closer to it.

Anne positioned herself in front of the cloth they used as a door, preventing Gilbert from entering. He raised his eyebrow at her but didn’t say anything. Anne wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted from him, all she knew was that she was suddenly nervous to show him a place so dear to her heart. 

Gilbert seemed to sense what she needed. He took a small step backward and looked around at the little hut.

“This is really quite impressive,” He said appreciatively.

“Thank you, I found it mostly together, I just fixed it up.”

“And added your own Anne flair to it,” Gilbert said, running his hand along a flower she’d carved on the outside.

“Yes...okay,” Anne said taking a deep breath and reminding herself that it had been her idea to bring him there in the first place. She looked into his eyes, noting how the hazel irises were now sparkling with interest and amusement. It was a stark contrast to the dull look he’d had when she’d found him at school.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” Gilbert said appreciatively. He wasn’t rushing her, but Anne could tell he was anxious to see inside.

“Okay,” She said, more to herself this time. Then she pulled aside the cloth and let him inside. He was facing away from her as he took in the hut, so she didn’t get to see his face this time, but she did hear him give a happy sigh as he looked around.

Anne busied herself with starting a fire so she didn’t have to fret about Gilbert’s reaction to her most special place. But even the task of making a fire didn’t prevent her from watching him closely as he explored the small space. When he found her journals she tensed, ready to snatch them away, but he merely looked at the cover and then put them aside.

The fire was crackling away by the time he came to sit next to her by it. Anne hadn’t realized there was that much to look at in her little hideaway.

“This place is magical, Anne, it really is. It feels like we are far away from the stresses of Avonlea. I can really breathe here,” Gilbert said, taking in a deep breath to prove his point. Anne let out a breath of her own along with his. She would never admit it to anyone, least of all GIlbert, but his words meant a lot to her. That was exactly how she felt about the hut and she was glad that he felt the same.

“You really are a kindred spirit, Gilbert,” Anne said. Most of her kindred spirits she’d been able to identify right away, but Gilbert had snuck up on her slowly. She wasn’t really sure if she’d really realized that he was one of them until right now.

“Thank you,” he said, giving her one of his big smiles that made his eyes crinkle. Anne smiled back but looked away quickly as an odd rushing feeling threatened to overtake her.

“We can work on our assignments together, if you’d like,” Anne said, steering the conversation towards lighter subjects. Gilbert blinked at her in surprise at the sudden switch of topic. He looked like he wanted to say more about kindred spirits or her hut, but decided against it. Instead, he bent down and took out his math book.

“That would be lovely,” He said.

They work mostly side by side, occasionally asking for verification or assistance on a question. Then, they went over their assignments together at the end, pleased when all of their answers matched up.

Anne didn’t think she’d ever been so disappointed to finish her homework before as they packed up their things and started to head home. Gilbert turned to face her when they reached the place where their paths separated. He looked at her with an expression that made her wish she could read minds.

“Thank you, Anne, I really needed this,” He said.

“You can come back to the hut again sometime if you want,” Anne said. “Whenever you need a breather. As long as story club isn’t in session you are welcome to join us.” Maybe someday Anne would induct Gilbert into the story club, but for now, it felt just perfect having it be the three girls and occasionally Cole.

“I would love that,” Gilbert said, giving her a bright smile. Anne suddenly felt hot all over and her cheeks reddened. Oh, how she hated the strange barrage of emotions she got whenever she was around Gilbert.

“Good, well, see you tomorrow,” Anne said quickly. She turned and sped walk away, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach that were caused by the soft chuckle Gilbert gave as she retreated.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is another stand-alone one shot. This is an AU of the events that happened at the end of 2x09 where Cole fights Billy and accidentally burns him.
> 
> In this version, Anne is the one who gets burned so a worried Gilbert follows her to the cliffs when she goes to comfort Cole.
> 
> Cue fluff, h/c, and Doctor Gil

“Cole, please! Stop, both of you. Cole!” Anne’s last shout rung in his ears as the scene before Gilbert unfolded in slow motion.

Cole punched Billy in the jaw. In return, Billy shoved Cole, who stumbled back into Anne, who had been standing behind him, trying to get them to stop fighting. Anne was knocked to the floor and the side of Anne’s face hit the furnace. She rolled away with a cry of pain, clutching her ear.

For a split second, everyone froze, including Gilbert and the two boys who’d been fighting.

“Anne!” Diana’s scream broke their trances and spurred them into action. Diana ran to Anne and placed her head in her lap. Gilbert rushed to Anne’s side, his hands fluttering nervously near her head, not exactly sure what he should do.

“I’m sorry,” Cole whispered, looking absolutely devastated. “I’m so sorry,” he repeated and then bolted from the school.

“Cole!” Anne cried and then winced in pain. Gilbert gently pulled back her hand to reveal a nasty burn on the side of her face and her ear.

Miss Stacy emerged from the back room and observed the situation with shock. “Alright, everyone but Diana and Gilbert go home, class is dismissed,” She ordered.

“Anne, be still,” Gilbert urged her. He was trying to press a cloth against her burn, but she was fighting him and struggling to get up.

“I have to...find Cole,” She gasped against the pain.

“I know, just let Gilbert help you first,” Diana said, running her hand along Anne’s cheek on the uninjured side of her face.

“No, I have to go now...he’s angry and upset...and probably feels like he has nothing,” Anne sat straight up, knocking Gilbert’s hands off of her. He sat back on his heels, unsure of how to help her when she didn’t want it. Anne took advantage of his hesitation and got to her feet and ran out of the door.

“Anne!” Miss Stacy called after her in horror.

“I’ll get her and bring her back to the Cuthberts, you two can go warn them of what happened,” Gilbert said quickly.

“Okay,” Miss Stacy agreed, but Diana hesitated.

“Let me go with you.”

“I don’t want to overwhelm her or make her feel like she’s being ganged up on, it’s better if I go alone. I can dress the wound as best I can and then bring her home,” Gilbert said as he rushed into the back room of the schoolhouse to grab a cloth he could rip up for bandage.

“We’ll see you soon,” Diana said. He gave her a reassuring smile and then ran out of the door.

Gilbert could have easily caught up with Anne. After a few minutes of outright sprinting, he caught sight of her red hair. Gilbert knew that she wouldn’t stop until she saw Cole, so instead, he hung back, giving her space but still following her from a distance in case she needed anything. Anne gave no sign of realizing that he was there, she held a very steady pace, seeming to have a very specific destination in mind.

Finally, they reached the edge of the island. On one section of cliff that jutted out over the ocean stood a lone figure. Anne paused for a moment, looking at Cole. Gilbert had almost closed the distance between them when she suddenly started sprinting towards him.

Gilbert stayed where he was and gave the two of them their space. He watched as they talked for a while and then Anne wrapped her arms around Cole. After a couple of seconds, he returned the embrace.

Gilbert’s stomach did a flip and he felt an odd sort of sadness watching them. He envied their easy friendship and obvious affection for one another. Gilbert had been trying to form a close friendship with Anne for years, yet she seemed to have bonded with Cole very quickly.

The odd feeling in his gut was soon replaced by one of fear because Anne suddenly went limp. Cole caught her and lowered them both to the ground. Now it was Gilbert’s turn to sprint.

Cole was crying and cradling an unconscious Anne in his arms when Gilbert knelt beside them.

“What happened?” He asked, brushing Anne’s hair away from her face so he could look at her better.

“I don’t know, we were talking and she seemed fine, and then suddenly she fainted,” Cole said, sounding near the verge of hysterics. “I know she’s injured, but she told me it wasn’t bad.”

Gilbert checked Anne’s pulse and breathing before turning her head slightly so he could look at the burn. She was pale and covered in a cold sweat. Her breathing and pulse were a little bit fast, but not alarmingly so.

“Her burn is significant, but it’s pretty superficial. I think her collapse is more likely due to shock. Now that her adrenaline has run out, the pain of her injury suddenly hit her,” Gilbert explained as he took off his jacket and laid it over Anne.

“Is she going to be okay?” Cole asked, sounding slightly calmer. Gilbert was glad for that. This situation would be 100 times worse if Cole couldn’t help him.

Yes,” Gilbert said as he tied a bandage around Anne’s head, “but we need to get her home and warmed up.”

“Okay,” Cole said, his eyes dry and his voice determined. He stood up with Anne in his arms. Gilbert readjusted his jacket so it was tucked around Anne.

“Let me know if anything changes with her breathing,” Gilbert said and they headed off.

It was a very uncomfortable and tense walk. Gilbert wanted to say something to comfort Cole, he just wasn’t sure what. He could practically feel the guilt radiating off of the boy. He and Cole had never been particularly close, but they’d always had a quiet respect for each other. They’d certainly gotten a lot closer since Anne had come into their lives, but Gilbert still didn’t know Cole all too well.

Still, the silence was stifling so he figured he’d try to help.

“It wasn’t your fault, you know,” He said finally. Cole gave a wry chuckle and Gilbert winced at how corny he sounded.

“That’s what Anne told me, right before she collapsed of an injury I caused,” Cole said sharply.

“It was an accident, I’m sure Anne-”

“Doesn’t blame me? Yeah, she said that too, but that doesn’t change the fact that my rashness got her hurt. I was so blind in my anger, all I wanted to do was hurt Billy. Anne was just trying to get me to stop,” Cole said, looking down at the girl in his arms.

“What did he do to you to get you so mad?” Gilbert asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“Doesn’t matter, I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did and I shouldn’t have run away from Anne. That’s not the person I am, or at least it’s not the person I want to be.”

“I got in a fight with Billy once,” Gilbert admitted, remembering that winter day that felt like lifetimes ago.

“Really?” Cole said, raising his eyebrows at him. “Gilbert Blythe, the boy whom everyone loves and gets along with, got in a fight?”

“Anne with probably disagree with you on the loves and gets along with part, but yeah I did. It was after my dad passed away. I was lost and hurting and not sure about what I wanted to do with my life. Billy came up to me and started pushing all of my buttons, insulting Anne, calling me bud, and asking me what my problem was as if my dad hadn’t just died. I got so angry, I just lost it and punched him in the face,” Gilbert said.

“Did you win?” Cole said with a small smile.

“He got a few good hits in, but yeah, I did.”

“Good,” Cole said. They walked in silence for a few moments before Cole broke it. “So insulting Anne is one of your buttons, eh?” Cole’s tone reminded Gilbert of the way Bash always teased him about Anne.

“Yes,” Gilbert said, not avoiding the truth. “She’s my friend and she’s quite special and I don’t appreciate it when people can’t see that.”

“I know what you mean, she certainly changed my life when she entered it. Like just now, when I was feeling like this world had no place for me, Anne was able to tell me a few things, give me a hug, and then suddenly there was a little bit more light in my world. She’s-” Cole didn’t get to finish his sentence because Anne suddenly woke up and started fighting his hold on her. “Anne, it’s me, it’s Cole. Anne! I’m going to sit you down, now, relax,” Cole said as he gently lowered Anne to the ground and helped her sit on a log. Anne looked between Cole and Gilbert with a dazed expression. Then she touched her bandage and winced.

“Ouch...what happened?”

“What do you remember?” Gilbert asked, crouching down next to her and looking at her closely.

“Um...I got burned and then...then I chased after Cole...and then…” Anne trailed off, Gilbert did not like the distant look in her eyes.

“Then you went into shock and passed out,” Cole said bluntly, kneeling on her other side. Gilbert met his eyes and saw his own worry reflected in Cole’s pupils.

“Oh,” Anne said. Gilbert retrieved his jacket from where it had fallen on the ground.

“Here, put this on,” He said and helped Anne slip her arms into his jacket. Gilbert put his hand on Anne’s forehead and frowned at the cool, clamminess of her skin. “We need to get you home. A good meal and a warm bed will fix you right up,” He said brightly, both for Anne and Cole’s sake.

“Gilbert, you can see Anne home safely, right?” Cole said and stood up. This seemed to snap Anne out of her daze.

“Where are you going?” She asked frantically. Cole moved back towards her and took her hands.

“Don’t worry, Anne, I’m okay. I just...I don’t think I can deal with seeing Miss Stacy or your parents just yet. You may have forgiven me immediately, but I doubt they will be as quick to. Besides, I’m going to have to face my mother’s wrath for skipping school sooner or later and it’s probably best to not keep her waiting any longer,” Cole said with a sad smile. Anne’s eyes searched his face and Gilbert guessed she was checking to make sure he was really okay before letting him go.

“Okay, but come and visit me tomorrow if you are able. I will make sure Marilla and Matthew know this wasn’t your doing,” Anne insisted.

Cole leaned in and gave her a quick hug before standing up again.

“Thanks for looking after her, Gilbert,” He said, offering his hand.

“Always,” Gilbert said, shaking it. 

As Cole walked away, Gilbert got the sense that Anne would like nothing more than to run after him again.

“He’ll be okay,” Gilbert tried to reassure her. “Now come on, let’s get you home.”

“I certainly hope you don’t intend on carrying me, Gilbert Blythe. I am more than capable of making it home on my own,” Anne said when Gilbert moved to help her up.

“Prove it then, take five steps and I’ll let you walk,” Gilbert challenged.

Anne, never one to back down from a challenge, stood up and took one shaky step, driven by her stubbornness alone. She tried to take a second step, but faltered and ended up falling to her hands and knees. Gilbert was at her side in an instant.

“What...is wrong...with me…” Anne said as she sat back and tried to regain her breath. “It’s just a burn...why am I so dizzy...and weak?”

“You went through a trauma and your body is trying to adjust. Anne, you need to breathe,” Gilbert said, rubbing her back gently when her breaths started coming in gasps. “Breathe, Anne, breathe. You just need food and water and a good night's rest. Just take a deep breath for me.”

Anne took a shaky breath in and then let it out.

“Good job,” Gilbert said as her breathing slowly returned to normal. “Is it okay if I carry you? We are almost to Green Gables and I think that’s the quickest way to get you home.”

Anne nodded, looking too exhausted at this point to argue. Gilbert stood up and then helped Anne to her feet. Anne then wrapped her arms around his neck and Gilbert picked her up, one arm around her back and the other beneath her knees.

Gilbert knew that once Anne was feeling better, she would probably feel embarrassed about being carried, but at the moment she didn’t seem to have any further objections. She laid her head on his shoulder and held onto him tightly. Her breath tickled his neck and sent shivers down his spine.

Gilbert wanted to keep her talking as he started walking to Green Gables. He couldn’t see her face, so that was the only way he’d be able to tell if she was still awake and alert.

“What did Billy do to make Cole so angry?” Gilbert asked, knowing he might be pushing his luck. Cole hadn’t been inclined to answer, so it was likely Anne would not want to share either.

“He destroyed our most special place on the island…” Anne said softly after a few moments.

“And what was that?”

“It was this little wooden hut in the woods...Diana, Ruby, and I started a story writing club and we’d meet there. We introduced Cole to it and he’d started going there to draw...or recently make sculptures because of his wrist.”

“Is it still not fully healed?” Gilbert asked. Before Cole had left school, he’d noticed that his wrist still seemed to be bothering him.

“We’re not sure if it will ever be what it was...but sculpting helps...and he’s quite good. The little hut was overflowing with sculptures because that’s where Cole went when he was pretending to be at school...I did the same thing...after the day I hit you with the slate,” Anne said, pulling away from him slightly to smile up at him.

“Yes, I remember that day,” Gilbert said, returning her smile.

“Anyways, I think Billy was looking for my fox,” Anne said, laying her head back down. Gilbert wanted to question her about the fact that she had a fox but didn’t want to interrupt her. “He must’ve stumbled across our hideaway in the woods and for some reason felt compelled to wreck it…”

“No wonder Cole was driven to violence,” Gilbert said, shaking his head in disgust. Leave it to Billy to find a special place in the woods and immediately want to destroy it.

“I’ve never seen him like that,” Anne said so softly it was barely a whisper. “He was so angry and heartbroken...I accidentally told Miss Stacy he wasn’t in school and she went to his house to convince him to come back, not knowing that he’d been hiding his absences from school.”

“That’s why you had to run after him,” Gilbert said as the full story clicked into place.

“I had to tell him I was sorry for betraying his trust and let him know that he wasn’t alone...I couldn’t bear another second of seeing him so upset.”

“By the sound of it, you did help. At least until you fainted,” Gilbert couldn’t help but tease. Anne groaned and buried her face further into his shoulder.

“Don’t remind me,” She said, her voice muffled. “How embarrassing.”

“It’s not-” Gilbert started to protest, but Anne lifted her head up, saw how close they were to Green Gables and interrupted him.

“Put me down now,” She demanded.

“But-”

“I can walk if you help me, it will give Marilla quite the fright if she sees you carrying me like this. She is liable to jump to the worse conditions. Put me down, Gilbert,” Anne said firmly. This time, Gilbert did as she asked, although he kept an arm wrapped around her. Anne put her arm around his waist and leaned on him heavily as they made their way to the gates of Green Gables. Her breathing was still shallower than normal so Gilbert took it slow.

“Did I ever tell you about the time I fainted in Dr. Ward’s office?” Gilbert said as they walked.

“You fainted?” Anne said in surprise.

“Yes, it was when I took Bash to get his tooth fixed up. Dr. Ward pulled out this large needle and I just fainted,” Gilbert said. Anne gave a cute little giggle that made Gilbert glad he’d shared his embarrassing story.

“And you still...want to be a doctor?” Anne said as they made their way past the fence that circled her home.

“Yes, I’ve been helping out with Dr. Ward a bit recently and I haven’t fainted again at the sight of a needle. I think it was just the shock of seeing the needle and really thinking for the first time what Dr. Ward was about to do with the needle,” Gilbert explained.

“I’m glad you got over that...it would make it a bit difficult to treat patients.”

“It would indeed,” Gilbert agreed.

“Anne? Anne!” The two of them looked up to see Marilla, Matthew, and Jerry all running towards them while Diana and Miss Stacy remained on the porch.

“She’s okay!” Gilbert yelled, but they didn’t slow down until they were right in front of the pair.

“I’m okay,” Anne assured them. Marilla took her face gently in her hands, taking in her pale complexion and her bandaged head.

“Miss Stacy told us what happened, I wouldn’t call that being okay,” Marilla chided.

“She needs food and rest and I need to clean her burn and rebandage it, but she will be okay,” Gilbert tried to reassure her worried family.

“Let’s get inside,” Matthew said. Jerry went to Anne’s other side and helped Gilbert help her inside. They took her right up to bed and wrapped her in all of the blankets they could find since Anne was still pale and cold. Once she was situated Jerry and Miss Stacy took their leaves. They had just wanted to stay to make sure Anne got home safely. 

Marilla went to make Anne some food while Matthew boiled water for Gilbert to use. That left Diana and Gilbert alone with Anne. Gilbert sat in a chair in the corner while Diana sat on the edge of the bed. Anne was sitting up fully with her back against the headboard.

“Are you truly okay?” Her friend asked her.

“I am, Gilbert and Cole made sure of that,” Anne said, giving him a smile.

“You saw Cole? How is he?”

“Sad, angry, confused, but I think he’ll be okay,” Anne said.

“Here ya go,” Matthew appeared in the doorway, holding a steaming bowl filled with water and cloths. He put it on the table next to Anne’s bed and then leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Your food is almost done, I just need to go feed the chickens and then I’ll be back.”

“Okay,” Anne said with a smile, taking Matthew’s hand and squeezing it once before letting it go. Diana stood up too and eyed the bowl of water with apprehension. Gilbert wondered if she was squeamish around injuries.

“I think I’ll go help Marilla with your food,” She said and then practically ran out of the door. Gilbert stood up and took the place next to Anne where Diana had just been sitting.

“This is going to hurt isn’t it?” Anne said, trying and failing to keep the nerves out of her voice.

“Yes,” Gilbert said, not wanting to lie to her. “But an infected burn would hurt more.”

“Okay,” Anne took a deep breath and nodded at him.

Gilbert gently took the bandage off of her burn. There were a few small blisters forming, but he was glad to see that most of the burn was just red. The injury looked clean, but Gilbert had to make sure. He wrung out one of the cloths and as gently as possible, began cleaning her burn.

Anne winced and made a few small noises of discomfort throughout the process, but overall Gilbert was impressed at her toughness. 

“I always knew you were the strongest person I’ve met,” Gilbert said when he finally finished. He placed a fresh bandage around her head and then helped Anne lay down.

“I may have been carried like a damsel in distress, but that doesn’t make me one,” Anne said sleepily.

“Oh trust me, I learned that the second your slate broke across my face,” Gilbert said with a smile. Anne smiled back at him, her eyes drifting closed for a second before she forced them back open. “You should eat something and then get some rest,” Gilbert said. “Keep your burn clean and covered until it scabs over.” Gilbert stood up and Anne grabbed his hand the same way she had Matthew’s.

“Thanks, Gil,” She said, squeezing his hand and then dropping it.

“Anytime,” Gilbert said, just barely resisting the urge to brush her hair back from her face. “Get some rest, goodnight, Anne.”

“Goodnight.”

Gilbert was halfway home before he realized that Anne was still wearing his jacket. He'd been too lost in his thoughts to feel the cold. Smiling to himself, Gilbert continued on home. He'd go back tomorrow and retrieve his jacket. It'd give him a good excuse to check up on Anne and make sure she was doing all right. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! I hope it wasn't too confusing with the last two chapters being completely different. Thanks for indulging my inability to make decisions and letting me write allll of the versions :-D


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